Page 15 of Dark & Deceitful

Eyebrows raised in warning, I stare her down for pushing too far too fast, but Cell shrugs as if she’s not being invasive.

“I got there a few days before Beth.” The blonde bumps shoulders with her companion. “We were there about a month.”

Navigating away from Rosie talk, I focus on something else instead, like introductions. “It’s nice to meet you, Beth… and…” Ipause and smile at the talkative one, waiting for her to fill in the blank.

“Oh.” The blonde giggles, fingers fluttering at her chest in embarrassment. “Sorry. I’m Destiny.”

“Are those your real names?” Cell cuts in, hands flailing as if she’s got a million things to say and can’t get them out fast enough. “Because I’m sure you’ve been told you don’t have to keep those. Some sisters feel better getting a whole new identity when they come into this world. Do you want a new identity? It’s okay if you don’t. We won’t judge you. Kali’s just Kali. She was named after a goddess. Her ex-husband Dark, you’ll meet him sometime, he’s kind of grumpy. Oh, and Sunshine, who’s her ex-father-in-law, friend, whatever…” The motormouth waves her words off. “He’s the hot guy who dropped you off this morning. They have Kali tattoos. Of the Goddess, not her. Well. I mean, I guess they’re her, too?—”

“Cell,” I interject. “Breathe.”

Hunched forward on the couch, she nods on repeat like a bobblehead doll, drawing in a deep, audible breath.

Damn. That’s far more information than these women need to know now or ever. If you’re wondering, which I am sure you are, thanks to Cell’s big mouth…Yes, my name is Kali. Yes, I was named after what she said I was. Yes, my ex and his father have tattoos of her in honor of me. No, I didn’t know about them until after they got them done. Both have the Goddess tattooed on their left side, spanning from armpit to hip in full color. That’s all I’ll say about it. It was a long time ago. They made stupid choices I see every time they have their shirts off. I try not to notice, but it’s hard to miss when the Hindu Goddess is depicted in blue, has multiple arms, her tongue sticking out, and looks like a total badass, which is why my mother named me after her. Kali is the Hindu Goddess of death and rebirth, embodying the power of creation and destruction in one entity, transcendinggood and evil. She is Mother Nature. She is the Goddess of time. So basically, she’s the baddest of bad bitches.

Dina snorts at Cell’s enthusiasm. Yeah. That’s what we’ll call it. I wonder how much caffeine our resident smarty pants had this morning. Knowing her, it was an entire pot of coffee.

Unfazed by our lively sister, the blonde continues the conversation as if she caught everything Cell gushed. “Oh. Yes. I know. My name’s not really Destiny. When I was rescued from a barn a couple of years ago, I didn’t want to be the old me. Bonez said it was okay.”

“It is,” I confirm, not knowing what else to say. I smooth down the side of my skirt.

A tear slips down Beth’s cheek and plops onto her lap. “I don’t want to be Beth anymore. I don’t want to be her anymore.” She swipes the back of her hand across her face to clear the wetness, and my heart aches for her.

“Hey. That’s totally fine. I know this is a lot to take in. You won’t have to do anything you don’t want to ever again.”

Beth nods along to my words, her movements jerky as if she’s deep inside her head, floating in a world of unpleasant emotions. Also, normal. This takes a lot to process. New surroundings. A whole new life. A new job.

“Dina and Cell will be here anytime you need something…. and those stairs…” My words are soft as I point to the corner of the room. “Lead up to the shop. You’re welcome to visit anytime during open hours. Many of the women you probably saw milling about this morning work there during the day. They’ll show you around, and next week, or whenever you’re ready, they’ll walk you through your responsibilities up there.”

The women listen intently as I fill in whatever they need to know. Every sister has a job here, whether that’s working in the store, cleaning the apartment like Dina does, or nerding out like Cell. We are a family. We support the others. To drive that pointhome, Cell gets up and grabs a box of tissues. She hands them to Beth before returning to her spot on the couch.

For however long it takes, I sit back and talk to Destiny and Beth. I answer any questions they may have. Cell chimes in as she always does, and Dina adds whatever I might have missed. When the women finally relax, their tears become a distant memory. When the smiles come naturally, and they seem to breathe easier, that’s my cue to be done for the day.

Sliding to the edge of the couch, I look each sister in the eye long enough to connect, but not too long that I make it weird. “We’re having a party upstairs tonight. You’re welcome to join if you’d like.”

Leaving them to their own devices, I climb the steps to join Sunshine at the shop, where Till is likely talking his ear off or trying to get into his pants. You never know what you’ll get with those two.

FIVE

With a wine glass half full of the most delicious, aged port, my hips and skirt sway to the beat of “Witchy Woman” as I nibble on another piece of dark chocolate. It melts on my tongue, coating my palate. I groan at how fucking decadent it is.

The world fades as the beat flows through me.

I am it.

It is me.

My eyes slide closed as I revel in the freedom without a care in the world. Today was a good day, even after a questionable morning.

Big hands and even bigger arms envelop me from behind as the familiar scent of pine and citrus reaches my nose. A chin rests on my shoulder. Hot breath warms my ear as my hair’s tucked around the shell.

“Hello, gorgeous.” A lingering kiss rests upon the side of my neck as splayed fingers press into my belly, each one a brand upon flesh. I burn for this, for him, for his touch, for the attention. I need it.

And he knows.

He knows exactly what I need.

We sway to the song and the next, lost in time.

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